The United States Botanic Garden - The U.S. Capitol Building

The U.S. Capitol Building.

The United States Botanic Garden, established by Congress in 1820, is a living plant museum located on the National Mall across from the U.S. Capitol. The Conservatory reopened in December 2001 after a four-year renovation, showcasing an impressive state-of-the-art indoor garden with approximately 4,000 seasonal, tropical and subtropical plants. The U.S. Botanic Garden is administered by the Architect of the Capitol and offers special exhibits and educational programs throughout the year.

Bartholdi Park Fountain.The fountain was designed symmetrically in three identical sections. The triangular base with turtles and large shells rises to the pedestal, from which three identical nereids (sea nymphs) rise on thirds. Between their feet are fish and scattered sea shells and coral. The nymphs, with arched backs, are caryatids, following a tradition of sculpture founded in classical Greece. They seem to hold up the large basin, which is actually supported by the central column. The nymphs wear headdresses of leaves. Their clinging drapery, clasped by shells at the waist, reveals their supple figures. Despite its monumental size (it weighs approximately 40 tons and is 30 feet high, and the sculptured female figures are 11 feet tall), each element of the fountain is beautifully detailed.Frédéric Auguste BartholdiThe work for which Bartholdi is most famous is Liberty Enlightening the World, better known as the Statue of Liberty.